


Crystal Collapse

by Mana_Syx



Series: Sad WOL Hours [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Character Death, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Gen, Grief/Mourning, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Other, Pain, Sad, Sad Ending, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:15:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25463053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mana_Syx/pseuds/Mana_Syx
Summary: So me and friend were discussing the 5.3 trailer and we realized something, and then my brain went to the saddest possible scenario so here it is. I wrote this in two hours at 4 am.This has a few headcanons and is mainly theory for what's to come, hence the Canon Divergence tag.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: Sad WOL Hours [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845967
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Crystal Collapse

**Author's Note:**

> THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FFXIV FROM THE END OF A REALM REBORN TO THE END OF SHADOWBRINGERS (5.2)  
> Pls also be aware this will hurt, probably a lot.

Elidibus had gotten into the crystal tower and attacked, the place had begun crumbling and breaking apart, as a last resort G’raha Tia had summoned Warriors of Light from other worlds to help Mikha. The tower shuddered and the ceiling cracked and parts fell to the ground around them. 

“I can keep the tower from collapsing for now but you must protect me and defeat him!” G’raha Tia said as he channelled his aether into his staff and used it to hold the tower together.

“Allow us to help you,” said Alisaie as she placed her hand on his shoulder, the other scions soon followed soon pouring their aether into him. 

The Crystal Tower soon stopped shaking and Mikha nodded to them before turning to his new companions for this battle. 

The battle itself was long and gruelling and the healers were overworked trying to keep G’raha and the party alive but they managed, thankfully and at the end, they had captured Elidibus’ soul in an auracite and crushed it with a larger surge of aether from all of the warriors of light rendering him incapable of returning. 

One by one the others returned to their homeworlds leaving Mikha, the scions and G’raha Tia alone in the tower. 

“I’m afraid this might be the end of the line for us, my friend,” G’raha smiled softly, “someone has to keep the tower up while you get out. Although I wish I had gotten share more in your adventures, I am glad to have been with you for this long and I hope when you remember me, you smile.” 

“G’raha, please don’t do this,” Mikha spoke shakily as tears pricked his eyes, “I’ve already lost so many people, I-I-I can’t lose you too!” 

“Please Mikha, I don’t know how much longer I can keep the tower from crushing us all.” G’raha Tia begged tears beginning to prick his eyes. He had made his peace with the fact that he was going to die before the man before him, he tilted his head and made eye contact with Thancred silently pleading him to pull the warrior of light away from him and out of the tower. He seemed to understand what G’raha wanted him to do as he slowly moved towards Mikha. 

Just as he took his first step G’raha Tia as though physically bearing the weight of the tower fell to his knees, crystal arm still holding the staff and pouring aether into it to keep the spell going. Mikha rushed to him landing on the crystal floor hard as he practically threw himself before the exarch. 

“Please, G’raha come with us,” He babbled, “I can give you some of my aether we can escape together, please, think of all the adventures we can have, all the stories waiting to be told, all the ups and downs we can share together, please don’t leave me G’raha, you’re my friend, my companion, I, I, I, I love, I love you! Please” tears streaming down his face, desperation and fear and love mixed together and writ across his face, his black ears flattened back, he placed his hand on G’raha Tia’s shoulder just as Thancred grabbed him and pulled him back. 

“Thancred what, what are you doing?!” he turned his head to look at Thancred just as he was pulled back and thrown over his shoulder, “Thancred you need to let me down”

“Sorry, no can do,” Thancred replied, “Everyone we need to get out of here now.”

“No, no, no, you need to let me go, please, I can’t let him die, not here, not now” The warrior of light thrashed until he successfully dislodged him before quickly scurrying back over to G’raha’s side again. 

“But before he could make he felt a spell hit him and sudden drowsiness, just as his eyelids began to droop he saw G’raha give him a soft, bittersweet smile and as he mouthed, “I love you Mikha”. A final tear rolled down the his cheek as he felt the darkness of sleep take him. 

When he awoke several hours later in his room in the pendants he found his wounds patched and the scions passed out in various places throughout. He quietly walked to the window so as not to wake them and looked out, his fear confirmed, the crystal was in ruins. He felt tears well up in his eyes and sobs catch in his throat, he didn’t want to wake his companions so he slipped into Novrandt’s aether network teleported to The Macarenses Angle where he knew no one would disturb him. 

Once there he finally let himself fall apart, let all the cries and sobs and pain and anger out until there was no more until his tears ran dry and his throat felt raw. His breathing was shallow and pained, his head was pounding, and his burned. Only then did he stop, only then did he allow himself to remember those last few moments, as he sat there huddled on the ground. 

He hadn’t felt like this, cried like this since Emet had died, he had still been grieving him, but now it was so much worse. It felt like everyone he loved was meant to die, first Haurchefant, then Emet-Selch, and now G’raha Tia as well. There had been so many others along the way, like Moenbryda and Ysayle and Papalymo, Doga and Unei as well, even though he had not cared for them the same way it still hurt to lose them as he did. He had lost G’raha before when he sealed himself away in the tower that first time, but this time there was no hope of getting him back. 

After a long while, he wiped his face and teleported back the Crystarium where there was a very worried looking Alphinuad, “Ah there you are we worried sick when we woke up and you were gone, are you alright?”

“Not really, I needed some time to myself, is it alright if I go see wait remains of the tower?”

“Of course, I will let the other’s know that you are back safe and sound,” he said softly. 

“Thank you” the warrior of light gave a small sad smile and nod before heading toward the tower. 

As he approached he spotted Lyna standing there holding her elbows as she observed the destruction. He walked up and stood beside her. 

“I know what happened,” she started, “He was always prepared to die saving you, I don’t blame you, you know. I think if he could’ve he would’ve tried and save everyone. I was an Orphan, my parents killed by sin-eaters when he found me, no older than 7 or 8. He raised me, taught me how to fight and read and write. He never tried to keep me away from my people though, always taking me along when he had reason to travel there. He used to talk about this hero from a far off world who slew all of these vicious and spectacular beasts, said that he was powerful and brave and kind. That even when his body could barely move he still tried to fight. That no matter what he always protected others. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like that so I can protect everyone as well!’ that’s why I joined the defensive guard, why I made becoming the captain my priority. I didn’t realize then but now thinking back on it, that hero was you wasn’t it?” 

Mikha gave her a curious look and a careful nod. 

“Thank you, not only for inspiring me but for being his guiding light. Even when he was down he always seemed to pull himself back up when telling me stories about you.” She chuckles sadly, “you did a whole lot for this world before you even came here.” 

Just as Mikha is about to reply a soldier comes up to Lyna “Captain we have finished clearing the rubble from the west side, where shall we move next?”

She turns to him “If you’ll excuse me I am needed elsewhere” before walking off with the other soldier. 

The Warrior of Light turns towards the rubble and walks closer when his eye catches on a glint of gold. He finds what appears to be a piece of G’raha Tia’s staff. As he bends to pick it up he feels fresh tears he didn’t know he had pricked his eyes. As he’s staring at the broken staff piece he has an idea, he grabs a relatively small piece of crystal, about the size of the palm of his hand and places it is in his bag. 

After a while, he finally decides to head back to his room where he crafts two sets of earrings, one for himself which puts on and the other for Lyna. So they can both have a piece of him with them, reminding them of how much he cared for them, but also that he sacrificed himself so they could live on. 

And now sitting here staring at the twin sets he thinks,  _ Now you can live on in our hearts and always be there as the voice in our ears guiding and supporting us as we protect our world and each other, I love you, Graha Tia.  _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry that I made you cry, but hey I'm also crying. Anyways thanks for reading and if you want to leave a comment and/or kudos please do!


End file.
